Top-roll saddle mechanism.



Ru 1 9 1 6 2 b G 0 d PLANOQRAPH CO.,WASHINUTUN. n. c.

COLUMBIA LEWIS T. HOUGHTON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOP-ROLL SADDLE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 26, 1915.

Application filed June 21, 1912. Serial No. 704,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS T. HOUGHTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, county of lVorcester, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improve- 'ment in TopRoll Saddle Mechanism, of

which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representinglike parts.

' This invention relates to top roll saddle mechanism and especially tothe fulcrum member or so-called lever screw on which the weighted leveris fulcrumed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel lever screwwhich is so constructed as to eliminate all danger of the weighted leverbinding or wedging in the eye thereof, and further to provide a novelconstruction of lever screw which will not lose its adjustment in theroller beam by virtue of any vibrating or jarring move ment to which themachine may be subjected while in use.

Other objects of my invention are to improve lever screws of thisnature, all as will be more fully hereinafter described and then pointedout In the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown some embodiments of myinvention, Figure 1 is a sectional view through a series of top rollsand through the roller beam showing my improved mechanism in sideelevation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on substantially the line0000, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2 with a part broken out;Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing a different form of theinvention; Fig. 5 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6is a view of the eye member of the lever screw; Fig. 7 is a side view ofthe screw member of the lever screw.

In the device shown in Fig. 1 the top rolls are shown at 1 and thebottom rolls at 2, the top rolls having a saddle resting thereon whichis shown generally at 8, and this saddle has a stirrup i hung therefrom,the lower end of which is connected to the weighted lever 5 which isfulcrumed at one end in the lever screw or fulcrum member and at theother end carries the weight 6. The top-roll saddle mechanism, stirrupand weighted lever may have any suitable or usual construction and asthey form no part of my present invention and as the method of operationof these parts is well known I do not deem it necessary to furtherdescribe them herein. I might add, however, that the top roll saddleherein shown is similar in construction to that shown in my co-pendingapplication Se. No. 655,687, filed October 20, 1911. The invention,however, is not limited to use in connection with the top roll saddleshown, but is adapted for use in conncction with the weighted lever ofany top roll saddle.

Some lever screws that are now commonly used are provided at their upperend with an eye through which the end of the weighted lever is insertedand are also provided with a shank which is screw-threaded into theroller beam 6. Another type of lever screw which is more or lesscommonly used is that known to the trade as the Speakman screw and whichis embodied in the Speakman Patent No. 316,197. This Speakman type oflever screw comprises an adjustable member which is screw-threaded intothe roller beam and to which the eye member is swiveled, said eye memberhaving a shank which extends axially through the screw-threaded memberand is mounted to turn therein, said shank having a head at its lowerend to prevent it from being withdrawn from the screw-threaded member.My invention is adapted for use with either of the above types of leverscrews. In the drawings, however, I have shown it as it would be appliedto a Speakman screw.

In making a lever screw the eye thereof is usually formed by bending thewire from which the screw is made into oval shape to make an eye whichis round at the top, and the weighted lever is usually provided with anotch in its end which rests against the top of the eye. This notch isgenerally provided with a fiat upper face which presents corners ateachside that cut and wear out the upper end of the eye, and when thisoccurs more or less friction develops at this point so that the weightedlever is apt to wedge or bind in the eye.

In the manufacture of yarns it is important that each top roll saddleshould have the same weight applied thereto and it is also importantthat the amount of weight which is applied to the top roll saddle shouldbe capable of easy determination. If the weighted lever has a freefulcruming' action on the lever screw, then the amount of weight whichis carried by the top roll saddle could be easily computed by astertaining the amount of the weight itself and the relative lengths of thelever arms of the Weighted lever. If, however, the weighted lever bindsor wedges in the eye of the lever screw, then a considerable amount ofthe weight on the lever is absorbed in the binding action and is not,therefore, transmitted to the top roll saddle. The importance,therefore, of a lever screw which will not wedge or bind on the weightedlever is ap parent. In order to secure this end I propose to constructthe weighted lever and the eye of the lever screw so that the surfacesthereof which have engagement with each other conform to each other bothin a direction longitudinally of the weighted lever and transverselythereof, thus avoiding the occurrence of any sharp corners on eitherpart which will cause a wedging action in the eye of the lever screw.

Referring to Figs. 4: and 5 which show a lever screw of the Speakmantype embodying my invention 7 designates the screwthreaded thimble whichis screwed into the roller beam 6 and 8 is the eye member of the leverscrew which is provided with the eye'9 in which the notch 12 of theweighted lever 5 is entered. This eye member 8 is formed from a piece ofwire which is bent at one end to form the eye 9 and the other endconstitutes a shank 10 which extends through the thimble 7 and isprovided at its lower end with a head 11. The eye member 8 is,therefore, swiveled in the thimble 7 so that the lever screw can beadjusted vertically in the roller beam 6 by simply turning the thimble 7and without turning the eye member 8 about its axis. Where the eye 9 hasthe oval shape shown in Fig. 4 I make the lever 5 of such a shape thatthe surface thereof which has contact with the eye 8 is shaped to fitthe eye both in a direction longitudinally and transversely of thelever. The lever 5 is shown as having the usual notch 12 in its uppersurface into which the upper portion of the eye 8 rests, and the sidesof this'notch are beveled or rounded, as shown at 13 so that when thelever is in engagement with the eye the surface 12, 13

of the lever fits the rounded shape of the eye 8. The eye 8 is usuallyformed from a piece of wire which is circular in cross section and thenotch 12 is provided with the rounded bottom which conforms in generalto the circular shape of the wire. IVith this construction the surfacesof the lever screw and of the lever which have contact with each 1 otherconform to each other both in a direction transversely andlongitudinally of the lever, and the lever will, therefore, have a freerocking engagement on the lever eye.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown another embodiment of the inventionwherein the upper end of the eye 9 is square, that is, the

eye is made by bending a piece of wire to form sharp corners 14 at theupper side thereof so that the top 15 of the eye is practicallystraight. with this embodiment of the invention it is not necessary toround or bevel off the corners of the lever as is done at 13 in Fig. 5because the top of the lever eye is straight and, therefore, will [itthe straight surface of the notch in the lever The notch 12 has arounded bottom, however, which conforms to the cylindrical shape of theportion 15 of the eye member, and with this construction, therefore,there will be no corners on the lever which will cut into or becomewedged in the lever eye.

The constant jar and vibration to which spinning machines are subjectedfrequently results in gradually loosening the screwthreaded thimble 7 ina Speakman screw, and this gradual unscrewing action of said member willchange the position of the lever 5. In order to prevent this fromhappening I propose to so construct the thimble and the shank of the eyemember that they will have suflicient frictional engagement with eachother to prevent the thimble from gradually becoming unscrewed in theroller beam. I accomplish this herein by making the thimble 7 slightlybeveled or inclined at its lower end, as shown at 16, and by making thehead 11 with the upper beveled surface 17 which fits the inclinedsurface 16. These surfaces 16 and 17 constitute cam surfaces, and whenthe thimble is turned on the shank 11 there will be a wedging actionbetween the surfaces 16 and 17 which will be suflicient to resist anytendency of the thimble 7 to turn in the roller beam due to thevibration of the machine. These inclined surfaces, however, are not suchas to prevent the thimble 7 from being turned on the shank 6 if a wrenchis applied to the hexagonal portion 18 of the thimble. The wedgingaction, however, is suliicient to prevent the thimble from working loosein the roller beam as the machine is in operation.

lVhile I have shown herein some embodiments of my invention I do notwish to be limited to the constructional details shown.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. In a top roll saddle mechanism, thecombination with a top roll, of a weighted lever hung therefrom, and alever screw on which said lever is fulcrumed, said lever screw beingformed of wire bent to present a lever-receiving eye having at its upperend a straight wear-resisting fulcrum portion of greater density andhardness than the body of the eye member and on which the leverfulcrums.

2. In the top roll saddle mechanism, the combination with a top rollsaddle, of'a weighted lever hung therefrom, a lever screw on which saidlever is fulcrumed, said lever screw comprising a thimble screwthreadedinto the roller beam, and an eye member having a shank swiveled in thethimble and provided with a head at its lower end, said head and thelower end of the thimble having inclined surfaces which engage eachother whereby the thimble is frictionally held from being turned in theroller beam due to jar or vibration of the machine.

3. As an article of manufacture a lever screw for top roll saddlemechanism comprising an eXteriorly screw-threaded thimble and an eyemember constituting a fulcrum for the weighted lever, said eye memherhaving a shank swiveled in said thimble and provided with a head at itslower end, said head and the lower end of the thimble having cooperatingbeveled surfaces.

L. In a top roll saddle mechanism, the combination with a top rollsaddle, of a weighted lever therefor, a lever screw on which theweighted lever is fulcrumed,

when the lever is weighted to provide sulficient frictional engagementbetween the shank and thimble to prevent the thimble from becomingloosened in the roller beam due to iar or vibration of the machine whenin use while permitting the shank to turn freely when the weight isremoved from the lever.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEl/VIS T. HOUGHTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY F. HARRIS, EDITH P. KILBURN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

